Yosemite Essay

Yosemite, so many things to do and see in this beautiful place. How did Yosemite come to be what it is today? Yosemite National Park is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. Yosemite has many distinctive rock features and waterfalls that are popular attractions for tourists. An act of congress elected Yosemite to be a National Park on October 1st, 1890. It is evident that Yosemite is a very important place in California’s history and still very important today to many visitors from all over the world.

The idea of Yosemite becoming a national park was in the heart and mind of a man named John Muir. John Muir was a very noble man who viewed nature as a piece of gold, something that should be valued, cherished and protected at all costs.

Not only did he watch over the land Clark fought hard to protect the beauty of it. “Soon, Clark started campaigning to have the giant sequoia trees protected by Congress, and his writings continued to publicize Yosemite’s natural wonders for the rest of his life.” ( Holden 4) This illustrates how Clark wanted to preserve the trees in Yosemite and get them protected. Galen Clark’s writings continued to shed light on the wonders of Yosemite which brought lots of people to the National Park. Without the passion Clark had for Yosemite foot traffic would have been less and experiences would have been minuscule. “Clark was famous for his hospitality, at first running a stagecoach rest stop called Clark’s Station, where tourists could get meals, stay overnight, and water and feed their horses. Even when his business failed, Clark remained active in Yosemite, guiding visitors and serving as its guardian until 1897.” (Holden 3) This quote portrays the heart of Clark for this land and wanting to share his heart with the guests of Yosemite through their experience. As if Yosemite’s natural beauty wasn’t enough, people working at the park made sure to add on trails and

The waterfalls that led water downstream, rock features that created beautiful architecture across the horizons, the miles of beautiful landscapes with different heights and sights to see , and the amazing plants and various types of species that roamed and traveled the lands of Yosemite are truly what make this national park as grand and appealing as it is. “Yosemite Park is a place of rest, a refuge from the roar and dust and weary, nervous, wasting, work of the lowlands, in which one gains the advantages of both solitude and society. Nowhere will you find more company of a soothing peace-be-still kind” (John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir 350). This quote shows that John Muir is describing Yosemite as a place of rest and a refuge from everything but peace and comfort. The wondrous lands of Yosemite go on for 1,169 square miles(Yosemite National Park 6). With every mile you visit, there’s another thing to see that will bring you comfort and relaxation. “This one noble park is big enough and rich enough for a whole life of study and aesthetic enjoyment” (John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir 350). The natural beauty and size of Yosemite National park is enough for one to be busy for a lifetime of pure enjoyment with fun activities such as hiking,